"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 012 - The Man Who Shook the Earth" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

"For the love of mud!" Monk ejaculated. "Did you hear that, DocтАФthe Midas Club! ThatтАЩs HamтАЩs hang-out."



THERE was a good reason for MonkтАЩs surprise. The Midas Club was the residence of one member of DocтАЩs
group of five remarkable aids. The man who lived there was Brigadier General Theodore Marley Brooks. He
was the law expert of DocтАЩs squad.

"Why should Velvet decoy this John Acre to HamтАЩs place?" Monk pondered.
Doc made no reply. His bronze features showed no excitement. That did not mean he was unconcerned. For
years, Doc had schooled himself in self-control. Now, it was only on the rarest of occasions that he showed
any emotion.

"John Acre said he had sent you some messages," Monk continued, eyeing Doc. "Did you get any?"

"No," Doc said. "And I have never heard of John Acre, either."

"The meeting being arranged at HamтАЩs apartment is the strangest part of the whole thing," Monk grumbled.
"Do you reckon that shyster lawyer is mixed up in something that he ainтАЩt letting us in on?"

When Monk mentioned "Ham," he used the same tone he would have used to speak of a horned devil. It gave
the idea that Monk would cheerfully have cut HamтАЩs throat. Monk and HamтАЩs association was one long
quarrel. Rarely did an hour pass but that one offered a biting remark to the other. They seemed continually on
the point of slaughtering one another.

But this was only good-natured horseplay. If necessary, one would cheerfully give his life for the other.

"WeтАЩll go up to HamтАЩs place and look into this strange meeting," Doc decided.

They walked toward the doorтАФand again MonkтАЩs little eyes threatened to shoot out of their pits of gristle.

Doc had made no gesture. He had not touched his clothing. The door, however, had jumped wide open as
they drew near.

"How do you do that, Doc?" Monk demanded.

"ItтАЩs trained," Doc said.

Monk snorted. He looked back as they went down the corridor. The door closed itself when they were a few
feet distant. Monk snorted again. The thing had him baffled.

Doc Savage went to the last panel in the long row of elevator doors. To MonkтАЩs bafflement, this door also
opened at DocтАЩs approach. They stepped into a cage. The door closed. The floor seemed to drop from under
their feet.

The mechanism of this particular elevator had been designed by Doc himself. It operated at a speed far too
uncomfortable for ordinary passenger traffic. For almost sixty stories, Monk and Doc barely had their feet on
the floor. Then the cage slowed so abruptly that Monk was forced to all fours. Doc, thanks to tremendous leg
muscles, kept his feet.